Long Term Goal by Sheree Compston
Long Term Goal (3 years): Extend student opportunity to practice social change through engagement with the whole school and local community. School Community: Reviews of Tropics College’s policies in regards to school development have formed the long term goal of strengthening Tropics College’s school community and cultural celebration. School–community partnerships refer to the connections between schools and community individuals and organisations that are created to enhance students’ social, emotional, and intellectual development (Willems & Gonzalez-DeHass, 2012). These partnerships between schools and students’ community can be referred to as natural and social capital (Matas & Bridges, 2009) and are imperative for strengthening school communities and student experiences. With the improvements to content, curriculum delivery and more focus on inclusion of culturally exclusive topics/literature, the changes to Year 5 English curriculum have been the stepping stones to creating culturally responsive students. The long term goal aims to extend student opportunity in regards to practicing social change by engaging and learning with their local community. Emphasis should be placed on the importance of culture in the effort to help students put cultural understanding into practice and form initiative for social change. Although the teacher’s vision of improving Tropics College’s Year 5 English curriculum to be more culturally inclusive is the main focus for the short and medium term goals, the overall goal is to help students become active members in society who are capable of change and who are aware of multiculturalism in their wider community (Sletter & Grant, 1999). This can be achieved through the use of curriculum structure, teacher pedagogy, content that is delivered as well as classroom practices, which will lead up to students engaging with members of their community and activities which celebrate culture. Although Tropics College encourages school partnerships through the use of school newsletters and monthly calendars detailing important dates and events which welcome community involvement, further changes, opportunities, organised events as well as parent and community engagement need to be implemented so this long term goal can be achieved. In order for Tropics College to achieve their school vision of helping students become capable of creating social change which will enable a multicultural and equitable future for all, certain action needs to be taken by teachers, staff, parents, students and the wider community. The goal of strengthening the school’s partnership with the community will help foster engagement and participation from students in regards to important concerns. By encouraging community members to share experiences and teach students aspects of their culture on a personal level, students will gain a greater understanding of curriculum theory being delivered in classrooms. From this understanding, the aim is to encourage student appreciation of multiculturalism and foster concern for common issues which students can rally against in order to create change in their community as well as on a global scale. By strengthening the school’s partnership with the local community, students are provided with experience, are supported and encouraged in learning and participating in engagement in order to coalesce to create change (Sletter & Grant, 1999). references